


an advance of proper advance

by morebooksplease



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne Shirley - Freeform, Cute, F/M, Gilbert Blythe - Freeform, In Love, No Spoilers, Promises, and hella in love, reference to s3, they cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 07:08:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20756360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morebooksplease/pseuds/morebooksplease
Summary: “You could’ve had anyone in this whole town, maybe even more than that. So then, why would you choose me?”A glimpse into their future(a rewrite of my earlier fic — for your eyes only)





	an advance of proper advance

**Author's Note:**

> we’ve gotten one episode of s3 and im ready for the rest AHHHHH

The air was chilly around them, faint breezes flowing past the pair – neither of them minded, finding themselves plenty warm. It was a rare day, one where both of them managed to evade both their chores and chaperones. One where it was just them.

“Hey, Gil?” asked Anne, feigning nonchalance as she carefully settled her head into his lap, hands picking at a stray leaf on the blanket.

“Yeah?” he replies, leaning himself against a tree trunk with his eyes closed, fingers stringing through Anne’s fiery hair instinctively.

Anne looks up towards him from her spot on his lap, admiring his profile and hesitating to continue her sentence.

“You could’ve had anyone in this whole town, maybe even more than that. So then, why would you choose me?”

“Because,” he murmurs easily, hazel eyes fluttering open, focusing on the view ahead, “because you are quite easily the most exquisite person I’ve ever met.”

“That’s absurd! There are people far more interesting or prettier than me –”

“That may be true,” He interrupts smoothly, gaze moving down to face her, fire evident in his eyes.

His fingers still playing with her hair gently and all she can do is stare, entranced by him, “but you’re it for me – God, the first few months after I met you, you were all I could think about. I journeyed across the world and there were still times that I thought of you, even though we hadn’t talked for weeks. I’d see someone with the same red hair and mistake them for you, or look at the ocean and think about how your eyes were a much prettier shade of blue. Avonlea had never been anything special to me but you, you changed that. I came back for multiple reasons but there’s no use in denying the fact that you were one of them.”

Anne could feel the blush overtaking her face, warming her to the bone. She took comfort in the fact that his was growing red as well. Her heart was palpitating wildly, utterly amazed at his words and selfishly waiting for him to continue.

His fingers moved from her hair to her face, caressing the slope of her nose gently before moving to trace her cheekbones. His gaze on her is steady, baring his soul to her and her heart felt full, threatening to burst.

“Before you, everything seems hazy … almost monotonous but you changed that completely,” Gilbert whispers, eyes hazy with memories, a smile on his face, “you hit me with that slate and somehow found a way to bring light back into my world.”

Anne lets out a wet laugh, tears welling in her eyes but a large smile on her face.

“So while there may be prettier or more interesting girls, I will always choose you, always. You’re the light that guides me through the darkness and you will always be the one for me. No matter the circumstances.”

Anne moves suddenly, unable to control her emotions any longer and leans against his chest, tightly hugging him. A few tears spring loose, wetting his shirt slightly. Gilbert adjusts himself to embrace her, hands rubbing gentle circles on her back.

“Anne?” he questions, nervousness seeping into his voice as he attempts to get her to look at him, “was it too much? I’m sorry, I didn’t realize –”

“No, no it was beautiful Gil, truly. I simply wasn’t expecting it that’s all, don’t you dare apologize,” she replies, moving to sit on his lap, her chin resting on his shoulder comfortably. Anne could feel his hold on her tightening, his face nuzzling into her shoulder, “At the orphanage and even here, people would tell me that I was too homely to marry or that my imagination would drive suitors away and I believed them. But here you are, contradicting everything they ever said and making me feel appreciated and loved – I just … I can scarcely believe it.”

Gilbert straightens them, bringing them face to face, her hands looped around his shoulders. His grin is wide and adoring, Anne is certain her own smile looks identical. The boy wipes a few stray tears from her face, “well you best believe it now, or else I’ll have to spend the rest of my life proving it to you.”

“That sounds incredibly tedious,” Anne teases, their faces growing closer, her breath shortening with anticipation.

“Not at all. In fact, it sounds like a dream,” he replies smoothly, mischievous smirk on his face as he moves closer to her, stopping slightly to continue, “Although, I suppose I’d have to marry you so I could truly know – would you be open to wed during winter?”

Anne freezes at his words, pulling away from him abruptly and he still wears that oddly infatuating smirk, “did you just – did you just propose to me?”

He pulls a flower from the soil, toying with it slightly and she can scarcely breathe. “Think of it as a promise,” he murmurs, attempting to shape the flower in his hand, “One day, with Matthew and Marilla’s permission, I’ll propose properly with all the pomp in the world but for now … I’ll settle for this.”

Gilbert held the flower he’d fashioned triumphantly, he’d fashioned the small dandelion into a circle, clearly meant to resemble a ring – her heart aching at the sight of it, too elated for words.  
“Anne Shirley Cuthbert,” he begins with mock seriousness, lowering his voice and she can’t help but giggle slightly, “will you allow me to give you this advance of proper advance of our future together.”

Her smile is wide, almost bursting and she nods, laughing at his dramatics. His own smile is radiant, one that she will never tire of seeing; he places a light kiss on her pinky before sliding the makeshift ring on it.

“This is truly more than I ever wished for, even in my wildest dreams, thank you,” Anne gushes, moving to place a kiss on the corner of his mouth, leaning against his neck as she admires her ring, “ but … why on my pinky?”

“Because it’s a promise and as you know, pinky promises can never be broken besides, this way Marilla won’t question it,” Gilbert concludes cheekily, winking at her as he leans against the tree once more. She feels comfortable and at peace as she lies against his chest, listening to the sound of his beating heart.

“You deserve more than I have to offer you, Anne,” he adds seriously, she moves to face him, brushing stray curls out of his eyes, “if you’ll wait for me, I’ll give you the world if you ask for it but if … if you find someone who is more able to give you everything, then I won’t hold it against you if you leave. I just want you to be happy, incandescently so.”

“I don’t want the world, Gil nor do I need it,” Anne murmurs carefully, her fingers toying with his collar as his hands rest on her hips, “all I want, all I need is you and you’re the only one I can imagine spending the rest of my life with.”

His face angles closer, hers following his lead and she’s wild with anticipation.

“I can’t wait until we’re married,” he whispers, their breaths mingling from their proximity, his hazel eyes alight with mirth, “can we get a pet? I’ve always wanted one.”

She can’t help but turn away to laugh, the moment slightly severed, “as long as you don’t change your mind about marrying me, I don’t see why not.”

“Hey,” he murmurs, bringing her face towards him, his eyes serious as he stares and she can’t help but shiver, moving closers towards him, “I will never change my mind about that.”

The pair hold eye contact for a prolonged moment, neither of them daring to move. Anne’s fingers rise up, tracing his top lip carefully, his eyes counting every freckle surrounding her lips and for a second, it feels as if they’re the only people in the whole world.

Time stills as he leans in, stopping himself when there’s hardly any space left, “may I?” he asks quietly, words losing their meaning on her lips and this time, it’s Anne that leans in. Their lips meet unceremoniously, their noses clashing against each other and it’s awkward, painfully so but she’s surrounded by him and that’s all that matters.

His hand snakes up towards her neck, cupping the side of her face gently as he adjusts their angle and now, now, she sees what all the fuss was about. Anne wants to stay here with him forever, wants to savor this moment for as long as she can but soon enough, they have to come up for air.

Their breathing rapid and their faces red as they separate but she’s still so close, close enough to count all the golden specks in his eyes.

“I look forward to our future, Gil,” she whispers, moving away slightly as she regains her bearings, he merely stares at her, adoring grin on his face.

“As do I, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert soon to be Blythe,” he adds shamelessly, broad grin still set in place; she leans into his shoulders, struggling to hide her grin.

“That does sound pretty adequate, does it not?” she asks gingerly, voice muffled by his shirt, relishing in his heat.

“It just may be the best thing I’ve ever heard,” he agrees, kissing her head as he pulls him closer to him.

It would be a long time until they could get properly engaged since Gilbert still had ways to go in his career and Anne wanted to enjoy a few years as a school teacher – but they would both wait, perhaps not as patiently as they should, until the time finally arrived.

“We should go, the sun is beginning to set,” Gilbert murmurs quietly, none of them ready to leave just yet, “Marilla will worry.”  
Anne gives him a tight squeeze before standing reluctantly, offering him her hand, “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Of course,” he says, stepping forward to kiss her forehead, intertwining their hands, “see you tomorrow, carrots.”

They disentangle reluctantly, hands lingering as they move away.  
Anne is the first to turn away, refusing to turn back around, knowing that she may lose all resolve but she’ll see him tomorrow. God permitting, she’ll see him for the rest of her life. Anne looks down towards her makeshift ring, the dandelion resting on her finger and anxiously awaits their future together.  


**Author's Note:**

> come yell at me about s3
> 
> ig- libraryofavonlea
> 
> thank you for reading & pls leave kudos if you enjoyed!  
if you have any constructive criticism pls lmk!!


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